Again, Tamsyn relaxed her mind as she looked at the map. Her mother’s focus was very strong, and she was supported by the power of the other Tremaynes.
At length, Gwyn whispered, “Southwest. Along the coast a little beyond Frethun. Only a few miles from Calais.”
Tamsyn caught her breath with desperate hope. “Can you see the building?”
After another long pause, Gwyn thought, “Gray stone. An old fortified farmhouse? Right on shore.”
“This may be enough. Thank you!”
Sounding strained, Merryn said, “Can’t hold much longer. Anything else?”
What did Tamsyn need to know most? “His captor. We called him Scorpion. Can anyone add more?”
Rhys’s thoughts came slowly. “A fanatic supporter of Bonaparte. Hates Cade for . . . complicated reasons.”
A surge of pain swept through the gathering. Cade’s pain. The Scorpion was tormenting him again. Tamsyn instinctively worked to neutralize his pain, and she was supported by her family’s love and strength, which helped her and Cade alike. But their joining was strained to the breaking point.
Merryn gasped, “Can’t hold longer, sorry!”
Tamsyn felt the shattering of the bonds that held them together and a flash of images flooded her mind. Cade vanishing as his mind was blocked again. Merryn collapsing with exhaustion into Bran’s arms. Bran cradling his wife while sending a last despairing thought. “Find him, Tamsyn, and heal him!”
Gwyn and Rhys were holding each other as Gwyn sent her blessing. “Go with God, my darling girl!”
Rhys thought urgently, “Look at list of allies in Calais! Bar . ..”
The last of her family’s thoughts faded away. Tamsyn collapsed on her narrow bed, almost too tired to breathe. None of them would want to undertake such a joining again anytime soon! The clarity achieved had given her vital information about Cade’s location, but the price had been high for everyone.
She envied her parents and Bran and Merryn, who had mates to offer strength and comfort, for she felt very much alone. But all of them believed that she had the ability to rescue Cade, which bolstered her confidence and determination.
Once she discovered where he was imprisoned, she’d surely be able to find a way to free him. She should have thought of seeking aid from her list of gifted allies herself, but now that Rhys had reminded her, intuition told her that she’d find vital help there.
Despite her exhaustion, she reached out to Cade again. He was barely there, deeply unconscious as he recovered from the Scorpion’s assault, but there was a stir of awareness when she touched his mind. Recognition and pleasure at her presence.
Holding that touch as if they were holding hands, she slid into unconsciousness herself.
* * *
Tamsyn slept until the dinner gong sounded. She awoke groggy and ravenous but managed to rise and lurch to the washbasin. There were tearstains on her cheeks and dark circles under her eyes. She did not look like the bright golden Tamsyn depicted in Cade’s miniature of her.
She splashed cold water on her face and neatened her hair, then descended to the dining room on the ground floor. Her appearance drew glances from the other residents, and the friendliest, Lucille, said sympathetically, “When great changes are forced on us, it takes time to find the next step.”
Tamsyn managed a smile. “So true! I spent much of the day feeling sorry for myself and thinking of what I’ve lost.” She sighed. “Not only was the English milady most pleasant and generous, but she had a footman who was very handsome. We exchanged interested glances, but now he is in England. I will not see him again.”
There were sympathetic murmurs from the other residents. Lucille said, “That’s unfortunate, but surely a Frenchman would be a better choice.”
“Yes, and with the coming of war, it is better to stay in my own country rather than being stranded among the enemy,” Tamsyn agreed. “From now on, I will be looking to the future. And good food will certainly improve my mood!”
“You’re in luck,” one of the other girls said with a smile. “Tonight’s meal is one of my favorites.”
The cook and her assistant entered the dining room, each of them carrying a steaming casserole of sliced potatoes, onions, bits of ham, and a creamy bubbling hot cheese sauce. It smelled delicious and Tamsyn learned that it tasted even better. Madame Bernard’s kitchen was skilled at producing satisfying meals with ingredients that were simple and not expensive.
After two servings of the potato dish, a piece of apple tart, and more fragrant mint tea, Tamsyn was ready to face her search again. She bid polite good-nights to the rest of the residents and headed up the stairs again. The first thing she would do was to consult the list of gifted allies to find someone who might help her find the mysterious stone building. And there she would find Cade.
CHAPTER12
Cade had begun the day when a burly guard brought him a simple breakfast. Vaguely he thought that once he would have been able to best that guard in a fight, but now he was chained and had no strength. He could barely remember being that other man.
After eating, he lay in a twilight haze until a wave of love surrounded him. Dimly he recognized that these were the people he cared about the most. Tamsyn, of course, first and foremost. His wife and the guide who’d brought the others to his damaged mind.
